Decades before Mignon was born changes were underway that would have a profound effect on her life. The eminent 19th century scientist, educator, and minister Edward Hitchcock of Amherst College was a major force in the development the natural sciences. Making clear connections between religious belief systems, scientific methods, and natural phenomena he became a noted figure on the national scale and in academic circles. 1 Friends of Mount Holyoke’s founder Mary Lyon, Reverend Hitchcock and his wife Orra no doubt influenced Lyon’s plans for the Mount Holyoke Seminary to incorporate natural science into the curriculum.
- Miriam Levin, Defining Women’s Scientific Enterprise: MHC Faculty and the Rise of American Science. (Hanover and London: University Press of New England, 2004), p 22. ↵